Pune News: Over 50,000 MSEDCL Consumers in Katraj, Bharati Vidyapeeth, Navale Bridge, and Ambegaon Areas Face Power Outage Due to Delayed Road Work

Pune, 27 July 2023 : Thousands of electricity consumers under the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) are facing a severe power outage due to the ongoing road work between Navale Bridge and Katraj Chowk. The delay in shifting the power system of Mahavitaran around this highway, which has been stalled since October 2022, is causing significant inconvenience and financial losses to both Mahavitran and its consumers.

The National Highway Authority has been conducting work on the National Highway in the aforementioned area. However, the crucial task of relocating the power system of Mahavitaran has been put on hold, leading to disruptions during the roadwork. Authorized drilling activities by Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited and other agencies are causing frequent cuts to the underground power lines of Mahavitaran, leaving both the electricity provider and consumers struggling with the consequences of broken power supply.

The situation is particularly dire for around 45 to 50 thousand electricity consumers residing in Katraj, Ambegaon, Santoshnagar, Dattanagar, Jambhulwadi, Gujarwadi, Mangdewadi, and Bharti University areas. The continuous cutting of underground power lines during excavation work has resulted in interrupted power supply for these regions.

Over the past fortnight, as many as 14 incidents of underground power line cuts have occurred during the excavation activities, including those related to ‘MNGL’ (Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited) and other systems. Each time a 22 KV transmission line is severed, it affects thousands of consumers simultaneously. Mahavitran’s engineers and employees are tirelessly working at full capacity to restore power, incurring significant costs and effort.

During the past 15 days alone, the digging for ‘MNGL’ led to 8 instances of underground power line cuts, impacting the electricity supply for around 40 thousand customers. The reconnection of these lines cost Mahavitaran approximately 4 lakh 50 thousand rupees, and the interrupted power supply resulted in damages amounting to about 12 lakh units, totaling around Rs 1 crore 20 lakhs. As a result, Mahavitaran filed a criminal complaint at Katraj Police Station to address the issue.

Although the National Highways Authority of India is responsible for the shifting of the power system before road widening, this work has not progressed since October 2022. Consequently, six high voltage lines of the 22 KV road cross of Mahavitaran were buried 15 to 20 feet deep during the road widening process, making repairs extremely challenging and time-consuming.

Despite continuous follow-ups with the Authority to expedite the power system shifting, the work has not gained momentum. Meanwhile, Mahavitran is forced to implement alternative arrangements for quick power supply restoration after power line failures. The constant repairs and losses incurred due to interrupted power supply are adding financial burdens to Mahavitaran, while also causing frustration among electricity consumers.